Practice 3 Report - Piastri tops hot session

Oscar Piastri
© McLaren

Oscar Piastri led a scorching final practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix, mastering the tough midday conditions to set the fastest time well ahead of the competition.

With ambient and track temperatures soaring at the Sakhir circuit, most teams delayed meaningful running until later on. The extreme heat left drivers fighting for grip on the abrasive surface, with many quick to complain about the lack of traction.

Only Haas drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman completed laps in the early minutes, joined soon after by Ferrari and Alpine. Lewis Hamilton was the first frontrunner to log a competitive lap, clocking a 1m34.846s on worn soft tyres. But it quickly became clear the conditions were challenging, with tyres overheating and little grip on offer.

Lando Norris then jumped to the top with a 1m33.796s, a full second quicker than Hamilton. Max Verstappen attempted a flying lap but ran wide at Turn 11 and had to abort. Piastri soon followed with his own lap, managing a 1m33.324s despite wrestling with understeer.

A mid-session flurry saw Fernando Alonso briefly slot into the top three, joined by Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Verstappen responded with an improved lap that placed him second, just 0.234s off Piastri’s best at the time.

As grip levels slightly improved in the final 15 minutes, Pierre Gasly momentarily took the top spot before Piastri launched his final flyer. The Australian delivered a commanding 1m31.646s, over six tenths faster than anyone else. Norris managed to reclaim second place, but still trailed by 0.668s.

Leclerc ended the session in third, 0.834s behind Piastri, despite losing a side mirror under braking and having to return to the garage for repairs. The Mercedes duo of George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli followed in fourth and fifth.

Gasly finished sixth for Alpine, ahead of Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar, who impressed in seventh. Verstappen ended up only eighth after a session filled with off-track moments and grip complaints.

Carlos Sainz, driving for Williams, was ninth, while Hamilton rounded out the top ten in his Ferrari.

The only significant incident came at the halfway mark when Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber lost power at Turn 8, triggering a brief virtual safety car as marshals retrieved the stricken car.

While FP3 provided little relevance for the cooler conditions expected in qualifying, McLaren’s one-lap pace—especially from Piastri—was an ominous sign heading into the evening.